How to AirDrop from Mac to iPhone or iPad

Did you know you can use AirDrop to send pictures, videos, and files from a Mac to an iPhone or iPad? AirDrop between the Mac and an iOS device is fast and works very well, and it’s quite easy to use for wireless transmission of images, documents, and other data between different devices.

This tutorial will detail how to AirDrop between a Mac and an iPhone or iPad. Of course you can go the other direction as well, as we have previously discussed using AirDrop from an iPhone to a Mac and also how to AirDrop between two Macs to transfer data wirelessly, so you may be interested in reviewing those articles too for a thorough understanding of how this great feature works.

Requirements for using AirDrop from a Mac to iOS device are as follows: all of the devices must be within close proximity to one another, they must support AirDrop (all somewhat modern hardware does), and for best results you’ll probably want to update the iOS versions and Mac OS versions to the latest available. Bluetooth and wi-fi must also be enabled on all involved Mac, iPhone, and iPad too, but when you turn on AirDrop those features are enabled as well.

How to AirDrop from Mac to an iOS Device

Using AirDrop to send data between a Mac and an iOS device is a two step process. First you must enable AirDrop on the device that will receive the files or images, in this case that would be an iPhone or iPad. Then, from the Mac, you choose the file(s) or data that you wish to send and access AirDrop to send it over to the receiving iOS device. We’ll split the receiving and sending parts into two different sections for clarity:

Part 1: How to Ready AirDrop to Receive on iPhone or iPad

First, start with the iPhone or iPad that wishes to receive data over AirDrop.

On the iOS device, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access Control Center then tap on the AirDrop icon (it looks like a set of concentric circles with the slice cut out of the bottom)

Choose to accept AirDrop Receiving from either “Contacts Only” or “Everyone” depending on who/what Mac you plan to receive AirDrop data from

AirDrop icon will turn blue highlighted to indicate the feature is enabled in iOS

Part 2: How to Send AirDrop Files from Mac to iPhone or iPad

Next, go to the Mac which has the data to send via AirDrop to the target receiving iPad or iPhone.

Go to the Finder in Mac OS and choose “AirDrop” from the sidebar, in a moment the receiving iPhone or iPad will show up in the AirDrop list on the Mac

In a new Finder window, locate the files on the Mac you wish to send over AirDrop

Now drag and drop the file(s) you wish to send from the Mac to the receiving iPhone or iPad as seen in the AirDrop window

Part 3: Receiving and Accessing AirDropped Data in iOS

If the AirDropped data is a picture, image, video, or movie, it will appear in the Photos app in the Camera Roll, as you can see here with an amazing Windows 95 photo

If the AirDropped data is a different file type like a PDF, text document, archive, word doc, pages file, or similar, a pop-up will appear asking what you wish to open the AirDrop data with, or alternatively you can choose “Save to iCloud Drive” to store the AirDropped data in iCloud Drive

Once you’re finished using AirDrop, remember to turn off AirDrop again so that you aren’t leaving your AirDrop receiving open to anyone else, and also to prevent any unnecessary battery drain.

* Generally speaking, using AirDrop with “Contacts Only” is safer and recommended, but you must have the sender in your contacts list of the iOS device in order for them to see your AirDrop signal. Using ‘Everyone’ can be more compatible and a bit easier, but note that literally anyone can send you AirDrop data at that point if you leave that enabled, thus it’s best to turn off AirDrop after you are finished using it.

I LOVE Airdrop and use it frequently… but I have found times when photos airdropped between iPhones and/or iPads do not all arrive!

I have only ever airdropped photos so I can’t speak for documents or other files. But at least with photos – between mobile devices – I feel that it is important to check and double check that you got all that was sent.

And if anyone has any tips or trouble-shooting info to help prevent this, I would love to hear it. Thanks!

Airdrop never works for me and hasn’t for about 12 months. Im currently using beta which I imagine is the problem. My icon also looks different and is green when selected not blue. Does anyone else using the beta software have any more luck?

I have a MacBook Pro early 2011 and a new iPad Pro, and nowhere in this piece does it tell me that I can’t AirDrop from the laptop to the iPad. Had to find this out from a geek friend that only 2012 and later works…thanks Apple. Hours of frustration. Get it together.

FORGET AIRDROP! they advertise it as a super simple Apple device to Apple device solution but it never works.

My iPad Pro doesn’t show in my 2012 iMac, that “search for old macs” thingy doesn’t show neither so there’s no way to Airdrop anything.
I have a 2017 MBP which detects the iPad Pro. You’d think I could send the 2012 iMac’s file to it so I could then send the file from the MBP to the iPad Pro. Well, that sound a lot like a Microsoft experience to me. Please remind me why we buy these expensive Apple stuffs again?
Anyway, that didn’t work neither because the 2012 iMac can’t find the 2017 MBP.

Sure, fanboys will tell me that I should go there in the Pref Sys, check this button, download that, whatever. Again: that would be a total Microsoft kind of experience!!

UX expected is —> I open Airdrop in Finder and I see all my macs and iDevices. I open Files in my iPad Pro and I see all my Macs Airdrops. Security? well there’s that ‘Contact only’ etc option.

That used to be the kinda experience we had on Apple products. That’s why we were ready to pay more. But of course it doesn’t matters, fanboys are sooooo happy to send speaking poo emoji messages.

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